Yoga – Benefits, Mechanisms

yoga

Introduction: Why Yoga Needs a Medical Approach

Yoga is more than a physical practice—it’s a powerful therapeutic tool that helps heal the body, calm the mind, and rebalance the nervous system. At Patients Medical in New York City, we incorporate medical yoga therapy as part of our functional medicine programs to support patients with chronic illness, stress, pain, and fatigue.

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all yoga class. It’s prescribed mind-body medicine.

What Is Yoga?

Yoga is an ancient healing practice that integrates physical postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), meditation, and lifestyle principles. Rooted in Ayurvedic wisdom and now backed by science, yoga is recognized for its ability to:

  • Reduce inflammation and stress hormones
  • Improve insulin sensitivity
  • Calm the autonomic nervous system
  • Improve flexibility, strength, and balance
  • Enhance circulation, digestion, and lymph flow
  • Support emotional regulation and mental clarity
What Is Yoga?

Common Conditions Yoga Can Help

At Patients Medical, we use yoga as a functional tool to support healing from conditions such as:

Root Causes Yoga Helps Address

Functional medicine seeks to rebalance the systems affected by chronic illness. Yoga complements this by supporting:

  • Nervous system repair: Calms the overactive sympathetic (“fight or flight”) response
  • Hormonal alignment: Improves adrenal, thyroid, and reproductive hormone regulation
  • Inflammation reduction: Lowers markers like CRP and cortisol
  • Detoxification: Stimulates lymphatic flow and digestion
  • Sleep quality: Improves melatonin and circadian rhythm
  • Emotional release: Supports trauma healing and vagus nerve tone

Diagnostic Testing We Use

To assess how yoga may support your healing, we begin with labs and functional evaluations:

Heart rate variability (HRV) for stress resilience

Salivary cortisol and adrenal panels

CRP and inflammatory markers

Sleep-wake cycle assessments

Hormone panels (thyroid, estrogen, testosterone, DHEA)

Gut testing (stool microbiome, leaky gut markers)

Mitochondrial function and oxidative stress markers

Integrative Yoga Programs at Patients Medical

Personalized Yoga Therapy

We tailor yoga sequences based on your medical history, labs, posture, and goals. Your sessions may include:

  • Restorative or therapeutic yoga for chronic pain
  • Gentle vinyasa or hatha for fatigue and deconditioning
  • Kundalini breathwork for nervous system activation
  • Iyengar alignment for joint and back support
Nutritional Therapy

Breathwork & Pranayama

Conscious breathing is medicine. We teach:

  • Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) for stress
  • Kapalabhati (skull-shining breath) for detox and energy
  • Ujjayi breath for calming and grounding
  • Diaphragmatic breath to support digestion and vagus nerve activation

Meditation & Mindfulness

We guide you through:

  • Body scans for pain awareness
  • Yoga nidra (yogic sleep) for trauma and insomnia
  • Loving-kindness and mantra-based meditations
  • Visualization techniques for healing
Herbal & Nutraceutical Support
Hormone Optimization (Bioidentical & Thyroid)

Ayurvedic Lifestyle Coaching

Yoga is more effective when supported by daily routine. We provide:

  • Seasonal Ayurvedic dietary guidance
  • Dinacharya (daily rhythm) adjustments for healing
  • Herbal teas and oils for your dosha
  • Sleep and detox rituals

Real Case Study: Rina’s Journey Through Yoga

Rina, age 55, came to us with chronic fatigue, anxiety, and joint stiffness. Labs revealed low cortisol, estrogen imbalance, and poor HRV. She wasn’t sleeping and felt emotionally depleted.

We created a 90-day yoga-based healing plan that included:

  • Gentle restorative yoga and breathing twice weekly
  • Daily self-guided yoga nidra and Ayurvedic oils
  • Herbal adrenal support
  • Trauma-release breathwork
  • Hormone-balancing nutrition plan

By month three, Rina’s HRV improved by 40%, her energy returned, and her joints moved pain-free. She now practices yoga daily as part of her wellness maintenance.

Hormone Balancing (1)

Anonymized Testimonials

Meet Our Doctors

Rashmi Gulati, MD

Medical Director of Patients Medical

Stuart Weg, MD

A holistic pain management physician

Dr. Emine Cosar, MD

Consult Dr. Emine Cosar, MD. For Gynecology

Explore Our Blog For More Insights

  • How Yoga Supports Adrenal and Hormone Health
  • Yoga for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Conditions
  • Breathwork for Healing Anxiety and Sleep
  • Restorative Yoga vs. Power Yoga: What’s Right for Healing?
  • Using Yoga for Detox and Liver Support

Frequently Asked Questions

 Yes. Our medical yoga sessions are 1-on-1 and tailored to your needs and lab findings.

Yes. Studies show yoga lowers CRP, cortisol, and other inflammatory markers.

Absolutely. We use adaptive yoga and props to make sessions accessible and therapeutic.

 Yoga reduces stress, improves circulation, and supports endocrine function naturally.

Yes. Through breath, movement, and meditation, yoga is a clinically proven mood stabilizer.

 Gentle yoga reduces immune overactivity and calms systemic inflammation.

We offer various therapeutic styles, including hatha, restorative, kundalini, Iyengar, and more.

Yes. Yoga enhances the effects of nutrition, detox, hormone support, and acupuncture.

 We are out-of-network but provide documentation for reimbursement. Labs may be covered.

 Yes. We offer virtual guided yoga therapy sessions nationwide.

Begin Your Journey with Patients Medical

Patients Medical specializes in gently helping the patient identify the root cause of their medical issues and then assist them to recover from their problems to help them move forward to good health.

Request your consultation today!

To schedule an in person on Tele-medicine appointment, please call our office at (212) 794-8800 or email us at info@PatientsMedical.com We look forward to hearing from you

Our medical center in New York City.

Patients Medical PC
1148 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1B New York, NY 10128

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